Alvin and the Chipmunks are certainly one of the last franchises I thought I’d live to see resurrected. Yet here we are. Coming on the heels of a moderately successful feature film, a platinum selling movie soundtrack, and on the eve of the DVD release of The Chipettes (an Alvin and the Chipmunks classic cartoon spin off series) is an all (mostly) new CD from Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.
The album features a host of cover songs including “All the Small Things,” (Blink 182) “Don’t Stop Believin’,”(Journey), “Shake Your Groove Thing (featuring Drew Seeley),” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”(Bon Jovi) as well as “Three Little Birds,” “Acceptance,” and the Deetown Remix of their immediately recognizable theme song, “We’re The Chipmunks.” You can argue the value of musicianship until you’re blue in the face and it just won’t matter when talking about a release like this. Alvin and the Chipmunks are purely about entertainment and that is exactly what they do throughout this release. Undeniable is full of energetic and catchily-hooked songs that make it hard not to tap your feet and bob your head, despite the helium-tinged voices delivering its gospel.
Overall I’m not sure how this release fits into today’s music world. It’s not quite a soundtrack but also not quite a “real” album. It’s not quite a comedy album and not quite a serious one. It’s not quite your momma’s chipmunks but not quite its own either. It sort of feels like an island. Undeniable is an enjoyable listen, especially for younger children, but it doesn’t hold up well on repeated listens if you aren’t a die-hard fan of the franchise.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
